Wheeze, a common symptom in pre-school children, is a continuous high-pitched sound, with a musical quality, emitting from the chest during expiration. A pragmatic clinical classification is episodic (viral) wheeze and multiple-trigger wheeze.

Diagnostic difficulties include other conditions that give rise to noisy breathing which could be misinterpreted as wheeze. Most preschool children with wheeze do not need rigorous investigations. Primary prevention is not possible but avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke exposure should be strongly encouraged.

Bronchodilators provide symptomatic relief in acute wheezy episodes but the evidence for using oral steroids is conflicting for children presenting to the Emergency Department [ED]. Parent initiated oral steroid courses cannot be ...